Egypt's Sisi says parliamentary election to be held before year-end: El Mundo

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

MADRID (Reuters) - An Egyptian parliamentary election that was due in March will be held before the end of the year, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo in an interview published on Wednesday.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a news conference with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (not pictured) after their summit at the presidential palace in Cairo, April 23, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

The election was put on hold after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that part of the election law was unconstitutional.

“We wanted to launch the (election) process in March but it was stalled by the constitutional appeals ... We’re discussing it with all political parties. I give my word that they will be held before the end of the year,” Sisi was quoted as saying.

Egypt has been without a parliament since June 2012, when a court dissolved the democratically elected main chamber, reversing a major accomplishment of the 2011 uprising that autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Critics say Sisi, who as army chief overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule, has undermined freedoms gained after the uprising that ended Mubarak’s 30-year rule.

But Egyptian leaders say the election shows their commitment to democracy. The vote is the final step in a political transition plan that the army announced in July 2013.

In the absence of parliament, Sisi has wielded legislative authority to curtail political freedoms but also introduce economic reforms that have impressed investors.